APRIL,2013

DCC COMMUNIQUE
By 2dLt. L. Candice Tillman
The following Cadets had promotions in April:

Upcoming Activities
30 APRIL- DINE-OUT
Invite family and friends

10-12 MAY- MODEL ROCKERTY WEEKEND

More information TBA

17-19 MAY- CAMP WAID

CADET A.J. PHILLIPS HAS PROMOTED TO C/TSGT.

Please join with me to congratulate C/TSgt. Phillips on
his hard work well done!
Thank you to the Springville AL-126 cadets who
represented our squadron honorably in the following
activities:

SER CADET COMPETITON:

Patrick AFB, FL
C/MSgt. Alyssa Tillman, C/MSgt. Ashley Tillman

TUSKEGEE AIRMEN H. S. MUSEUM:

Tuskegee, AL
C/ SSgt. Hunter Paul, C/CMSgt. Shayla McCay,
C/MSgt. Ashley Tillman, C/MSgt. Alyssa Tillman,
C/MSgt. Joshua Tillman

Camp Waid - Springville, AL

25 MAY- ALABAMA JUBALEE HOT AIR

BALLOON FESTIVAL
Point Mallard, AL. Family fieldtrip

8 JUNE SOUTHERN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT

9:00 Birmingham, AL
Aerospace Activity

22-29 JUNE SER ENCAMPMENT

Sign up now - Limited enrollment!
MAY 2013 WEEKLY MEETING SCHEDULE
WE MEET AT THE SPRINGVILLE ARMORY TUESDAYS 6:00 TILL 8:30
Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

7(BDUs)
AERO-SPACE/
DRILL

AL WING CADET PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT WEEKEND:
Vigilant Warrior - Titus, AL

14 (PTUs)

ES/ PT

C/Joshua Tillman
21(BLUES)
LEADER-SHIP/
SAFETY

BLUE SKY RIDERS:

O-flights during March and April:
C/2dLt. Walter Alexander
C/SrAmn. Kendal Coupland
C/Amn. Z Coupland
C/ SSgt. Hunter Paul

28(BDUs)
Character /
DRILL

Thank you to all of you who volunteer and

participate in AL-126 Civil Air Patrol you
make Springville Cadet Squadron excellent.
1

APRIL,2013

Springville Cadet Squadron AL-126 Cadet

Master Sargent Alyssa Tillman and Cadet
Master Sargent Ashley Tillman competed
with the Alabama Wing Drill Team in the
Southeast Region Cadet Competition.
Alyssa and Ashley were two of fourteen
cadets chosen in state-wide tryouts to
make up the 2013 Alabama Drill Team.
The 2013 Drill Team is the first to represent
Alabama in 20 years. Cadet Drill Team
members from all over the state met one
weekend each month at Maxwell AFB
working hard to develop the unity and
cohesion necessary to compete in the SER
Cadet Competition.

Uniform inspection
Standard Drill
Innovative Drill
100 question written exam covering
Aerospace, Leadership, and General
knowledge of CAP
Quiz Bowl Competition
1 mile run, and
Volleyball tournament

Lacking in experience and sleep, the Alabama

team was fueled with courage, determination
and team spirit. Level heads and positive
attitudes helped these cadets to give Alabama
Wing a 3rd place finish, a trophy for the Alabama
Wing showcase, and a new love for the
competition. They have promised to be back in
2014.
2013 ALABAMA DRILL TEAM AND COLOR GUARD
We are proud of your dedication, hard work
and competitive spirit!

On Friday afternoon 5 April 2013, the team

loaded their gear into vans at Maxwell AFB
and began the 12 hour drive to Patrick AFB,
stopping to pick up the 2013 Alabama Color
Guard Team in Dothan, AL.
They arrived around 2:30am on Saturday
morning, had a few hours of shut-eye and
were back up by 6:00am to participate in
the days competition.
Each cadet competed individually and with
their team in the following events:

By Louise Tillman, 2dLt., CAP

Photo by C/1stLt.Jessica Ernest, CAP

Pictured above left to right: C/Alyssa Tillman, C/Ashley Tillman,

and C/Ethan Latch enjoy a walk on Cocoa Beach after Cadet
Competition

APRIL,2013

APRIL,2013

Photo by C/CMSgt. Shayla McCay, CAP

AL-126 Springville Cadet Squadron was privileged

to join with the AL-075 Gadsden Composite Squadron
Saturday April 13, 2013 in a private tour of the Tuskegee
Airmen Historical Site Museum in Tuskegee, AL.

APRIL,2013

Park Ranger Robert Stewart led the

Squadrons through the exhibits in Hanger 1
at Moton Field, the original training site of
the famous Tuskegee Airmen. Among the
hands on exhibits in the hanger was a bright
yellow and blue PT17 open cockpit biplane
that caught everyones attention.

Photos by C/CMSgt. Shayla McCay, CAP

APRIL,2013

Ranger Stewart retold the history of many

of the legends involved in the Army Air
Corp experiment at Tuskegee which
trained black civilian pilots, opened the
door for black pilots to serve in the U.S.
Air Force, and was the beginning of
desegregation in the U.S. military.
Ranger Stewart knew the history well and
shared the experiences of many
individuals who were instrumental to the
success of the Tuskegee Flight Program.

Photos by C/CMSgt. Shayla McCay, CAP

As he spoke of the legends at Moton

Field, cadets were able to try on the
uniforms of those who had made a
significant contribution to the success
of the Tuskegee Pilot Training
Program. People like Charles Alfred
Chief Anderson who was the chief
flight instructor at Tuskegee, and who
supervised primary flight training for
1,000 African-American pilots at
Moton Field. Chief Anderson is known
now as the Father of Black Aviation.

APRIL,2013

Ranger Stewart also taught about Lt.Col.

Benjamin O. Davis Jr., who was in the
first graduating class at the Tuskegee
Army Air Field in March of 1942. By
August that year, he became squadron
commander of the newly activated 99th
Fighter Squadron. The 99th Fighter
Squadron had been created to keep the
black Airmen separated from serving with
the white pilot squadrons. The 99th flew
many combat missions from North Africa
under Davis' command. Davis then
assumed command of the 332nd Fighter
Group in 1943, and was transferred to
Italy in February of 1944 where the 332nd
flew bomber escorts. In March of 1945,
Davis led the 332nd on a 1,600-mile
round-trip escort mission to Berlin.
During that mission, the Tuskegee
Airmen never lost a bomber, and they
were awarded a Distinguished Unit
Citation for their efforts.
Thank you to Ranger Robert
Stewart for making the history of
the Tuskegee Airmen a personal
experience.

Photo by C/CMSgt. Shayla McCay, CAP

APRIL,2013

Flight instructors

Parachute riggers

Women Pilots

and Mechanical engineers.

8

APRIL,2013

Photo by Becky McCay

Park Ranger Christine Biggers also gave our group a presentation of The Women of the
Tuskegee Experience with photos and background history of the women during WWII who were
instrumental in the creation of the Tuskegee Flight School as well as many who were the support
personnel at Moton Field.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt is credited with the funding for building the Civilian Pilot Training
School at Moton Field after a famous flight with Chief Anderson in March of 1941. The Army Air
Corp began the pilot training program along with Tuskegee University in July that same year.
They named the field to honor former Tuskegee Institute principal Robert Russa Moton, who had
recently passed away.
9

APRIL,2013

Nurse Della Rainey was one of the supporting women who was key to the success of the Tuskegee Airmen.
Moton Field was the beginning of a distinguished Air Force career for Nurse Rainey. As a lieutenant serving at
Tuskegee Army Airfield in 1942, she was the first black American appointed as Chief Nurse in the Army Nurse
Corps. She later served as Chief Nurse at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., and was promoted to captain in 1945. After the
war, she was assigned to head the nursing staff at the station hospital at Camp Beale, and in 1946 she was
promoted to major. Major Rainey served a tour of duty in Japan before she retired in 1978.
Thank you, Ranger Christine Biggers, we enjoyed the excellent presentation!
Moton Field in Tuskegee, AL is one of the most significant historical sites in Alabama. It was a pivotal
operation which changed the efforts of WWII by providing bomber escorts and insuring the safety of U.S.
pilots. It began changing the views of our society toward the contributions of black Americans, and opened the
door to distinguished military careers of many Americans who would never have been allowed to serve before.
If you have never visited the Tuskegee Airmen Historical Site Museum, we encourage you to plan a trip
to the grand opening of Hanger 2 which is presently being completed and will include a theater. You will
definitely enjoy the trip!

Photo by C/CMSgt. Shayla McCay, CAP

10

APRIL,2013

19-21 APRIL, 2013

This year's Cadet Professional Development
Weekend was held 19-21 April 2012 at the home
of WESS in Vigilant Warrior training facility in
Titus, AL.
Springville Squadron AL-126 was represented by
C/MSgt. Joshua Tillman who attended the NCO
Academy.
The NCO Academy is a leadership course for

Photo by C/SrAmn Lai Huynh,CAP

cadets at the rank of Staff Sargent to Chief Master

Sargent. Cadets at this level of leadership training
have already mastered the Phase I Airmen
Leadership School which focuses on Personal
Leadership in the aspects of: character, selfdiscipline, core values, followership, Air Force
traditions, personal goal setting, time management,
communication, and critical thinking.
Phase II Cadets at the NCO Academy are trained
in Team Leadership, which focuses on Servant
leadership, standards, professionalism, coaching
and mentoring, team dynamics, critical thinking,
learning styles, teaching and training methods, and

As the home of CAP National Headquarters,

Alabama Wing is committed to provide the best
opportunities for training and leadership to cadets.
These opportunities can mean a great deal to a
cadet's future goals and achievements in life. The
training programs provided to our cadets by the
Alabama Wing as a United States Air Force
Auxiliary are professionally planned, organized,
and executed by the best in the organization, and
because CAP is a volunteer organization, the
training provided was also at no charge.

effective communication.

Thank you to the Alabama Wing for

Participants at the NCO Academy Professional

Development Weekend studied Public speaking,

providing the best opportunities for

leadership training to our cadets.

leadership styles, how to command the flight, and

CAP standards.

11